Combination tail light and signal



March 17, 1925.v

J. L. NUTE COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT AND SIGNAL Filed Aug. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ilHIllllllllllll lilllll|llll|l. 1

March 17. '1925.

- J. L. NUTE COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT 'AND SIGNAL Filed Aug 23 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet w w n Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATIENT; OFFICE;

JOHN L. NUTE, OF CHAMBERSBUR-G, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIEt F ONETHIRD TO JESSE A. CI-IILCC'IE, OF AL'IOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT AND SIGNAL.

Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial No. 658,975.

To all whomit may concern.

.Be it kno-wn'that I, JOHN L. NUTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Franklin and 'State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Combination Tail Light and Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby the driver of a vehicle may indicate to persons in the rear of a vehicle, the intentions of the driver of the vehicle relating to stopping, proceeding and turning either to theright or to the left.

It is within the province or the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

Withthe above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combina tion and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described,

and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from cross section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure7 is an elevation showing the keeper; Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the various markings on the surfaces of the signal body. 1

In carrying out the invention a bracket 1 is mounted on the rear portion of anautomobile and carries a fixed tubular support 2 which is disposed horizontally. On the support 2 is mounted a keeper 4 provided with spaced seats 5. An electric lampv 3 is detachably mounted on the end of the support 2 and the conductors 33 for the lamp lead backwardly through the tubular support 2.

The signal comprises a casing denoted generally by the numeral 6 and including Figure 1 shows in elevation, a device an outer end plate 7 having an opening 8.

A transparent pane 9 extends across the opening 8' and is held in a recess 10 formed in the inner surface of the end plate 7. The casing of the signalembodies an inner end plate 11. The body of the signal casing is rectangular in cross section and may be PM made of glass or any other suitable material. The body of the signal is colored on its various surfaces as may be required. The ends of the body 12 are received in grooves 1 1 formed in the inner surfaces of the end plates 7 and 11. The lates7 and 11 have outstanding cars 15. ecuring elements, such as screws 16, are journaled in the cars 15 of the end plate 7 and are threaded as at 17 into the ears 15 of the end plate 11. The heads 18 of the securing elements engage theears- 15 of the end plate 7. The construction is such, obviously, that the various constituent portions of the signal are held togetherv securely but detachably.

,T he support 2 passes through] the. plate 11,

the signal thus being supported for rotation on the member 2. A pulley 19 is located between the keeper 4 and the end plate 11. The endplate 11 has a polygonal 3 projection 20 received in a correspondingly shaped recess21 formed in the pulley 19. Thus, the pulley is held to the signal so that when rotation is imparted to the pulley, the signal will be rotated likewise. The end plate 11 of the signal, and the pulley 19 are supplied with cooperating bores defining a passage 22.- A screw plug 23 isithreaded intothe bore of the end plate 11. in the passage 22 and bears against a ball latch 25, disposed in the passage, the spring serving to hold the ball latch 25 engaged with any one of the seats 5 in the keeper l. Within the signal casing 6, the support 2 carries an abutment 26. A compression spring 27 surrounds the support 2, within the signal, and is engaged at one end with the abutment 26, the other end of the spring 27 being engaged with the end plate 11. The spring 27 serves to maintain the polygonal projection 20 on the end plate 11 engaged with the recess 21 in the pulley 19, and, thus, the pulley and the signal casing are connected for rotation. Further, the spring 27 serves to press the pulley 19 against the A compression spring 24: is disposed on keeper 4. and to prevent rattling, when the device is in operation, it being practically impossible for the pulley 19 to be spaced far enough from the keeper 4 so that the ball latch may drop out of place.

Flexible elements 28 are wound in opposite directions about the pulley..19 and are connected thereto The flexible elements 28 extend through a tubular guide 29, supported at 30 in any suitable way, on the body of the vehicle. At their forward extremities, the flexible elements 28 are connected to'a cross head 51 mounted on a shaft 232 jou'rnaled in bearings 33" carried by the steering column of the vehicle, there being a handle 35 at thenpper end of theshaft 32 as shown in Figure 1, the handle being located closely adjacent to the steering wheel ever, may be employed for imparting rotation to the signalrcasing 6.

The various surfaces of the body 12 of the signal casing may be lettered or marked as desired. Thus, ii preferred, one surface may" carry Ithe word Stop as shown at oppositely"pointing arrows 38 and 39 or their equivalents.

Iii-practical operation, when rotation is imparted to the sh aft 32 through the instrumentality of the. handle 35,the cross head 31 on the shaft will-actuate the flexible (3. The operator, at will; mayexpo'se'any of the VzH'IOUS surfaces ofthe signal body 12,

the markings shown ii1"Figure Sthusbeing 'V1Sll)l; 'OI1E, 1lta tune. I The sp'rlng 24: permits the balllatchQfi to yield, and to pass tron'l one oi. the seats 5 in the keeper a to i another of thesaid seats, the seats-5 being" so located that when the ball latch 25 is in one of them; one ot the surfaces of the signal and itscorrespon'ding legend or mark,

willbe disposedrearwardly for observation by those. approaching the vehicle from be-' hind.

pane 9, will serve to illuminate the license tags (not shown) on the vehicle.

What is claimed 1s: 7 v

L'Ina device of the class described. a shaft, a slgnal yournaled on the shaft, a keeper on the shaft and external to the s1g- 'nal, a latch carried by the 'signal'and cooperating with the keeper, means for rotating the signal, an abutment carried by the shaft and located within the signal, and a compression. spring within the signal and interposed between one end of the signal and the abutment and serving to thrust thesignal longitudinally of the shai t and toward the keeper.

2.'l n a device of the class described, a shaft, a signal journaled on the shaft, a keeper on the shaft and external to the signal, an operating member interposed between one end of the signal and'the keeper, inter-engaging elements on the signal and on theoperating n'iember, coacting to hold the operatingmember and the signal to gether; ('letachably for rotation, 'an abutment carried by'the' shaft and located within the signal, a compressionspringrlocated within the signal and engaging the abutment and the one 'end of signal and serving to main tain said interengaging elements in co operating relation andto'press' the operatingmember "against the keeper, and latch mechanismcarried by the signal and by the operating member and cooperating. with the keeper. elements 28.; the flexible elements rotating i the pulleylt), and with it the signal casing support, a keeperon the support, a signal journaled*on the support, an operating 3:1n a device of the olassdesc ribed, a

mechanismoperative and latch mechanism carried by the signal and the operating member and cooperating with the keeper.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing "as my'own, I have'hereto afiixecl my signature in'the presence'of two witnesses.

JOHN L. NUTE;

"Witnesses:

. MoNRon-L. NUTE,

C. 'GRACE'" SNYDER. 

